Receptacle for containing and dispensing semisolid condiments.



C. TOELCKE.

RECEPTACLE FOR CONTAINING AND DISPENSING SEMISOLII) CONDIMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAILBO, l9l4.

1,231,098. Patented June 26,1917.

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CHARLES TOELCKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY MAG-NUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BEGEPTACLE FOR CONTAINING AND DISPENSING SEMISOLID CONDIMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented une 26, 1917.

\ Application filed. March 30, 1914. Serial No. 828,319.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES TOELCKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Receptacles for Containing and Dispensing Semisolid Condiments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a receptacle for containing and dispensing a semi-solid condiment such as mustard, for example. The object of the invention is to provide a receptacle suitable for holding and dispensing mustard, or other like condiment, from which the mustard may be discharged by inverting the receptacle and shaking it a little, if necessary, in the same way that salt or pepper is dispensed from the ordinary salt or pepper-cellar. Mustard, as it is ordinarily served, is a semi-solid which is too thick to be poured from an ordinary bottle or shaken from a device like a salt or pepper dredge. It is usually served in cups by the use of a spoon. This exposes the mustard to the air so that it soon dries. In a restaurant of any considerable size a great deal of time has to be spent in cleaning mustard pots and spoons, and the waste of mustard incidental thereto may be considerable.

My invention provides a receptacle which is closed except for a relatively small dispensing opening and, within said receptacle, a relatively heavy ball or other like body, the diameter of which is large relative to the diameter of the receptacle; which ball serves, in the first place, to keep the mus tard in free condition, ready to run out of the dispensing opening when the receptacle. is inverted; in the second place, to eject or move a certain part of the mustard toward the dispensing opening, and, in the third place, to close the dispensing opening after a certain amount of the condiment has been delivered.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred form in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of the receptacle in its upright position, and Fig. 2 a similar view of the receptacle inverted, with the ejecting ball serving as a valve.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a bottle or receptacle which is preferably of substantially the same cross-sectional area from top to bottom and is preferably formed with a threaded neck B of reduced diameter in comparison with the diameter of the rest of the bottle on which is screwed a cap C, which may be made of metal, celluloid or any other suitable material, and is formed with a central dispensing opening D. 'Within the vessel is a ball or other similar body E, preferably made of glass, or other heavy material, the diameter of which is just a trifle less than the diameter of the neck B. The

latter, it will be seen, forms a pocket in which the condiment, mustard for example, collects when the vessel is inverted. As the size of the discharge opening is small (being made so intentionally so as to keep the mustard from drying up and keep it clean), the mustard in the pocket will not, of itself, run out through the orifice, or at least not freely. The ball, however, acts as a plunger forcing practically all of the mustard in the pocket out through the opening. The ball then acts as a valve to close the opening and prevent any more of the material from dripping out. In this way a certain amount of the mustard is delivered each time the re ceptacle' is inverted or shaken. The ball being heavy, sinks to the bottom of the body of mustard left in the receptacle when the receptacle is turned back into the normal position. As soon as the receptacle is inverted it falls through the body of mustard, breaking up the mass and starting it toward the discharge end. It will be obvious that the pocket of reduced diameter at the discharge end of the receptacle might be made by giving the cap a suitable configuration instead of by narrowing the glass of the bottle so as to form a neck. The important consideration is that a pocket be formed at the discharge end of the receptacle having a diameter but a trifle greater than the diameter of the ball so that the latter will act as an ejector or plunger. It will be seen that the receptacle is entirely inclosed except for the relatively small dispensing opening D. For this reason the mustard will not dry and solidify as quickly as it does in the ordinary open mustard pot.

While the article is intended particularly for dispensing mustard, it might be used for other slow flowing or semi-solid condiments of like character.

I claim:

1. An article for holding and dispensing a semi-solid condiment such as mustard, consisting of a receptacle comprising a body part and a cap, one end of which receptacle is of reduced diameter in comparison with the rest of the receptacle forming a pocket of uniform diameter opening unobstructedly into the body of the receptacle, said cap terminating in a rounded end having a dispensing opening in the center of the same, through which the material in the receptacles passes immediately and without obstruction therefrom, and a spherical ejecting ball of heavy material which is entirely unat tached within the receptacle and is freely movable in the body of condiment therein and has a diameter just a trifle less-than that of said pocket, which ball, when the receptacle is inverted, acts as a plunger against the material collected in the pocketand forces the same out through said dispensing opening, thereafter closing said opening.

2. In an article for holding and dispensing a semi-solid condiment such as mustard, the combination of a receptacle comprising a body and a cap inclosing one end of the body, which latter is rounded on the top and of relatively thin. material and formed with acentral perforation through which material in the receptacle may be discharged therefrom. directly and unobstructedly, the end of the receptacle having the cap being formed so that a pocket is provided of smaller diameter than the rest of the receptacle opening directly and unobstructedly into the body of the receptacle; and a spherical ejecting ball of heavy material which is entirely unattached within thev receptacle and is freely movable in the body of condiment therein and has a diameter just a trifle less than that of said pocket, which ball, when the receptacle is inverted, acts as a plunger against the material collected in the pocket and forces the same out through said dispensing opening, thereafter closing said opening.

CHARLES TOELCKE.

Vitnesses L. A. FALKENBERG, G. Y. SKINNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

